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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Creamy Asparagus Soup: A Soup of a Different Color, from Cook's Country

Today, being St. Patrick's Day, I've seen so many beautiful "green" dishes. It's is purely, by coincidence, that I have this vibrantly green, beautiful (and very tasty) Creamy Asparagus Soup to share with all of you. This recipe is in the April 2010 issue of Cook's Country-- one of my favorite recipe magazines. I took these photos on Monday night, shortly before all my natural lighting was gone. For that reason, you can't really appreciate what a verdant green this soup turned out to be. There are two secret ingredients, that the test kitchen of Cook's Country (same owners as Cook's Illustrated) added that delivered surprisingly great results. What are they? First, let's start with the basics-- fresh asparagus. This bunch is from Mexico, but today I see that locally grown California asparagus has hit the markets at $1.97 a pound. I'm so happy, because we love asparagus.

TIP: I save these blue bands. They are perfect for tying bouquet garni (herbs for seasoning soup stock and stews). Kitchen twine is great, but these hold up really well in hot liquids.

Prepare the leeks, but washing and cutting them and washing them well. If you are unfamiliar with how to prep leeks, click here. Cut tips off asparagus spears and chop stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (I used a combo of olive oil and unsalted butter) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add asparagus tips and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Right here, I could have eaten all of these. OK. I ate one. It was delicious.

Add remaining butter and asparagus, leeks, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.The secret ingredients are about to be revealed...

Add broth to pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas and Parmesan. Peas and Parmesan? Yes, that's right. Cook's Country found that the peas gave a vibrant green color to the soup, but taste testers couldn't detect the peas. The Parmesan's slightly nutty flavor was a good balance to the asparagus, the article said. Now, to make the soup creamy....

Puree soup in blender in 2 batches and return to pot. However, kudos to you if you have an immersion blender. I've written this dozens of times-- I find it so much easier to puree my soups right in the pot! Why bother pouring soups, in batches, into a blender and then back into the pot? Whatever floats your boat. Last, stir in cream, lemon juice, and asparagus tips, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

This is the truth-- I made this soup in less than 30 minutes! Of course, how did it taste, you wonder?

Winner, winner, winner! Craig and I both loved this soup a lot. The first thing we commented about was the pretty color. We do taste with our eyes, don't we? The balance of asparagus flavor was perfect. Craig didn't taste the peas nor the Parmesan cheese. These surprising ingredients complemented the overall flavor of the soup. I think you could easily substitute the heavy cream for half and half, or even milk. To us, 1/4 cup of heavy cream for six servings isn't too big an indulgence.

This soup is worthy of company. It's elegant, flavorful and not too heavy. It's a perfect Spring Time Soup.

Spring has arrived in my hometown!

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I am so going to make this while it is still cooler and rainy here where we are. Beautiful soup, beautiful pictures. I am dreaming of having a bowl right now and it's only 7 am here as I type this. Thanks for sharing it with us.

What a wonderful soup! I also subscribe to Cook's Country, a great magazine! Nice to see how one of the recipes turns out! I think I'll make this for my Easter dinner! Thanks! Roz PS: 72 degrees today here, so spring has arrived here too (and hopefully it will stay!)

What a grand looking soup. I wouldn't be concerned about the cream. Divided by six that really is not a bad amount. Some soups need that bit of richness to make them standouts. Your soup looks and sounds like a standout.

Thank Goodness asparagus is back in the stores again. It's seems bigger thicker and taster than I remember in years before. Our weather here in Texas can't seem to make up it's mind. 80 degrees yesterday and another freeze due again tonight. Perfect soup weather for a perfect vegetable! ~LeslieMichele

That is one great technique, using peas to pump the green! I love asparagus soup, and asparagus is such a rite of spring, which has finally arrived! Glad to hear you like Cooks Country - I've been thinking of checking it out.

I made a double batch of the soup and found that it did not have much flavour so I added a splash of hot sauce, a splash of reduced balsamic and a splash of white wine, salt and pepper some shredded chicken and it is awesome. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Next time, I'll follow the ingredients to a t and see if it makes a difference.

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